There’s been a clash between APC and PDP supporters at the INEC headquarters in Rivers State.
The video shows the Rivers APC governorship candidate, Tonye Cole being shielded by security personnel as unidentified supporters are heard shouting “go! ”.
One injured as PDP, APC supporters clash in Rivers
3rd April 2023 By Dennis Naku
One person sustained a gunshot injury after being hit by a stray bullet when supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress clashed in Port Harcourt on Monday.
Earlier, some members of the PDP protested in front of the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.
The protesters demanded a joint inspection of election materials by all political parties.
The APC, led by its governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, had last Friday said it would storm the INEC office on Monday to demand the release of Certified True Copies of documents used for the March 18 governorship election to enable the party file processes at the election petition tribunal.
Our reporter who was at the scene reports that while the PDP protests festered, Cole in company of the state APC Chairman, Emeka Beke, and other party leaders showed up at the GRA area of Aba Road and was proceeding to the INEC office when the protesters sited him.
The protesting youths raced in his direction, pelted stones and water sachets at him.
The security operatives attached to Cole immediately shielded him and whisked him into the vehicle, but the protesters continued pelting sachet water in his direction.
Within minutes, soldiers of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, operatives of the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps arrived and shot into the air to disperse the protesters.
However, an eyewitness told our correspondent that one of the security men attached to Cole fired the shot which hit one of the protesters who was advancing towards him.
The man bled profusely on the floor due to a gunshot that injured his leg before friends carried and took him to the hospital.
Sensing that the PDP supporters were more, Cole’s security whisked him away from the scene, while the APC supporters there scampered for safety.
As of the time of filing this report, the GRA Junction near the INEC office in Port Harcourt is the centre of the battle.
However anti-riot policemen, soldiers and the NSCDC officers are in a show of force to avert further unrest.
There’s been a clash between APC and PDP supporters at the INEC headquarters in Rivers State.
The video shows the Rivers APC governorship candidate, Tonye Cole being shielded by security personnel as unidentified supporters are heard shouting “go! ”.
Gunshots As APC, PDP Members Clash In Port Harcourt Over Inspection Of Electoral Materials
Some PDP members stopped the APC Governorship Candidate in the March 18 poll, Tonye Cole from accessing INEC office.
Gunshots were heard on Monday when members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State clashed in Port Harcourt, the state capital over the inspection of electoral materials.
Trouble started when the APC Governorship Candidate in the March 18 poll, Tonye Cole and members of his party arrived the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state capital to inspection of materials used in the last election in the state.
However, Cole was forced to turn back by members of PDP who were already on ground at the INEC office before his arrival.
The situation caused pandemonium as the PDP members demanded the joint inspection of election results and the Certified True Copies of result sheets for the just-concluded 2023 general elections.
The PDP protesters had blocked both the waterlines and GRA areas of Aba road, the two major access points to the INEC head office. No car was able to drive through that stretch of Aba road from the ground lanes, while those on the GRA flyover are trapped because there is no exit route.
The PDP protest was led by the Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie who was re-elected in the March 18 election and Samuel Nwanosike, the Chairman of the Ikwerre Local Government Area.
Though the party won the governorship and State Assembly elections, the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly who jointly led the protest, demanded that INEC grant the party a joint inspection of the materials used in conducting the March 18 elections.
The protesters believed that their demand would introduce the level of transparency needed to forestall unnecessary litigations and arguments.
Apart from the demand for joint inspection of materials, some inscriptions on the placards displayed during the protest also request INEC to make available the Certified True Copies of results.
It's always funny when people just want to post negative stuff without caring if it makes sense.
The Transition Council did the right thing when they put out this alert. Having a blue tick does not negate putting out this alert. Are the names and tags of the two accounts the same? Is it possible for people to be fooled by the fake account. Any sensible person that can answer these questions will know why the alert was necessary.
ALERT: Presidential transition council raises the alarm on fake Twitter handle
April 03, 2023. 8:44
Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), has distanced the presidency from a presidential transition council Twitter handle.
On February 9, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the establishment of the transition council to coordinate the activities geared towards ensuring a smooth transition of power from the current administration to the next.
The council is chaired by the SGF while members include the head of the civil service of the federation, solicitor-general of the federation, permanent secretary of the ministry of justice, permanent secretaries from the ministries of defence, interior, finance, foreign affairs, and information, and other government officials.
In a statement on Sunday, Willie Bassey, director of information for the SGF, said a Twitter account was created before the inauguration of the council.
Bassey said the account was a “calculated attempt” to spread fake news. He urged the public to follow the council’s authentic Twitter account for accurate information about the transition programme.
“The attention of the presidential transition council (PTC) has been drawn to a fake Twitter handle, @TransitionNgr(https://twitter.com/TransitionNgr.) created by unscrupulous persons since April 2020, even before the establishment and inauguration of the council,” the statement reads.
“PTC has nothing to do with the fake Twitter account handle, and wishes to state that approval for the establishment of the presidential transition council was given by the president in February this year and was subsequently inaugurated by the secretary to the government of the federation /chairman of PTC, Boss Mustapha, CFR, thereby exposing their irresponsible and calculated attempt to disseminate inaccurate and tainted information to unsuspecting members of the public.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the authentic Twitter account of the presidential transition council is @FGNPTC (FGN PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION COUNCIL) (https://twitter.com/FGNPTC/).
“The public, by this release, should discountenance the fake Twitter account and use the official account handle of PTC for genuine and accurate information on the activities of the transition programme.”
The council added that all committee members are working towards the success of the inauguration on May 29.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERATION
PRESS RELEASE
PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION COUNCIL DEBUNKS FAKE TWITTER HANDLE
The attention of the Presidential Transition Council (PTC) has been drawn to a fake Twitter handle, @TransitionNgr (https://twitter.com/TransitionNgr.) created by unscrupulous persons since April, 2020, even before the establishment and inauguration of the Council.
PTC has nothing to do with the fake Twitter account handle, and wishes to state that approval for the establishment of the Presidential Transition Council was given by the President in February this year and was subsequently inaugurated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation /Chairman of PTC, Boss Mustapha, CFR, thereby exposing their irresponsible and calculated attempt to disseminate inaccurate and tainted information to unsuspecting members of the public.
For the avoidance of doubt, the authentic Twitter account of the Presidential Transition Council is @FGNPTC (FGN PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION COUNCIL) (https://twitter.com/FGNPTC/).
The public, by this release, should discountenance the fake Twitter account and use the official account handle of PTC for genuine and accurate information on the activities of the transition programme.
PTC further adds that the activities of the Transition Council is on course as all Committee members are working assiduously for the success of the inauguration on 29th May, 2023.
Willie Bassey. Director, Information For: Secretary to the Government of the Federation /Chairman, Presidential Transition Council April 2nd, 2023
The funniest thing here is that people who have never been to Borno and who have never fired a gun are experts (arm chair experts) in knowing "Too many lies".
Politics › Re: Gunshots As APC, PDP Clash In Rivers Over Inspection Of Electoral Materials by naptu2(op): 3:13pm On Apr 03, 2023
